Why
Before I started to collect and paint 6mm sci-fi miniatures I did a thorough research of what is on the market, main producers, videos of how to paint miniatures, videos and articles of how to paint micro miniatures like 6mm or 10mm, because it is quite a different thing (a couple of years before 3mm miniatures were almost a dream, so I did not know of them, now we have increasingly more options, but this is a subject for another article). Step by step I started to find out about many manufacturers of miniatures and wargames aand sci-fi background ("fluff"), and deeper and deeper I dipped I started to enjoy this amazing universe of 6mm miniatures that was slowly unravelling before my eyes. One of these manufacturers was EMP Games and the Command Horizon line of miniatures and wargame. In fact, I found about Command Horizon, googling about it and reading an old site from when the wargame was owned by Baccus [*], an important 6mm manufacturer, which now goes no further with its many line of miniatures than WWII. I was fascinated to see miniatures like Centaur Walking City Habitation Module and Skim Fighters. With patience, nourished only by reading about Command Horizon and staring at miniatures, I took the time and money to collect as much as I could. Unfortunately, before I could get the mentioned two miniatures, they went out of stock. No, you don't wanna see "out of stock" before your eyes when you want something (long live... consumerism!). Is just a hobby, but... Now leaving jokes aside, I have collected and painted a lot of Command Horizon miniatures and I want to let more people know about them, about their pros and cons. This is especially because this line of miniatures is mostly (close your eyes, you hobbyist!) "out of stock" and I have a feeling is pretty close to its close or "crepuscle" as you wish. Though I hope it gets a new developing boost, or at least new owner willing to do that (as the competition in the 6mm market is nowadays fierce), though I have to say that the miniatures line from EMP Games contains two phases of development one pre-EMP Games and one after, with improved designs.
[*] previously owned by Gladiator Games under the name Hardkill; they had many interesting miniatures that were not re-released by Baccus (thanks for the info Templar2, TMP user).
Many miniatures types and variants were collected and painted. Among them, there are air and land miniatures. Air miniatures are from the class of fighters, bombers or fighter-bombers. Land miniatures are composed of infantry, support weapons, tanks, personnel carriers, artillery vehicles, command vehicles, all grav vehicles, and robots/walkers. I have not got all the miniatures. Apart from those out of stocks, some of them already mentioned, I do not have the Guardians, we could also call them BattleMechs, meaning the big robots (Assori Wargen, Alliance Gorgon). In the Command Horizon line of miniatures and universe, there are three factions. They were called Humans, Centaurs and Worms, when they were part of Baccus, while in EMP Games ownership, we have Alliance, Asori and Putredine, but also the original races (told you there were two phases of development for the Command Horizon minis).
When I saw first the miniatures belonging to the Putredine faction, I could not believe my eyes something like those design were possible. I mean tracked or wheeled or grav vehicles, yeah, of course, but vehicles like those? No, at least not for me. I liked, although I confess, some of the designs look to me a little bit too futuristic, or better said, too alien, but they captivated me (this is another reason that can be added to those mentioned in the "Why" section of this review; another reason, a strong one, is to get the minis while their still in stock, think of it as a save buy, for me, but also for others who want them to be reviewed). The Centaurs look alien, but Putredine are one step further. Both factions have character. Also, the new minis for Humans (Alliance) are more better shaped and Orca, Tusk or Viper are my favourite too. As is the Heavy Trooper from the Alliance. I do not remember seeing anywhere such a good design for sci-fi infantry support weapons.
The walkers are ok, but not something too far on the good scale, while Putredine vehicles like Inflictor, Infector or Infiltrator (the "Inf-" vehicles) are for me, on the wow scale. Farther on this scale are the warrior miniatures, not especially because of the design, which is ok, but because of the idea of having such aliens, reminding me of the 1997 movie Starship Troopers (bugs, bugs, everywhere) or the videogame Command and Conquer Red Alert: Counterstrike, and its Giants Ants (featured in the four secret missions available in the game). The land vehicles of Centaurs are ok (I especially like Honour Arks) and also their aircrafts. The latter look more good, as I think the land vehicles are a little bit too clunky (outdated). The same is true for the vehicles belonging to the original races category on EMP Games's site - but only a little bit outdated, and they are maybe out-of-scale, like the difference between 1:300 and 1:285, little, but can produce scale creep (on the WW2 theater compare this to Heroics and Ros vs. GHQ) - CHH02 Scout Personnel Carriers is such an example, it comes in a pack of 6 miniatures - and the minis need a little bit work, as their back is not that well manufactured). At the end of the gallery of images you can also see some miniatures of worms, like grubs or borers. I use grubs as worm infantry (swarm) and borers as worms from Dune.
Centaur and Putredine miniatures look sufficiently alien to me, so I would gladly include them in a wargame, while Alliance miniatures are good miniatures to include as Humans representatives. If you can get some of the Command Horizon miniatures, they make a good addition, especially Putredine vehicles and some of the Alliance vehicles. But most of these minis are out of stock now. Maybe they will be produced again, maybe not. Maybe, I myself, will have more luck in finding these miniatures. I hope they will be produced again, and that many redesigns are made as also the Command Horizon wargame is an interesting game design that deserves a new facelift.
Great review and pictures.
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John EMP Games
Thank you very much. Glad to find out this and anxious to see more releases!
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